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Friday, March 31, 2017

Our March challenge as an Island Batik Ambassador was to do a 'mini' (24"x24" or smaller) using English or paper piecing techniques.

I chose a block, "Eastern Star", the second block in the paper piecing chapter from my co-authored book "You Can Quilt!" There are two complete blocks, shrunk to 10" finished, and stacked and then partial blocks to finish the corners of those blocks and then just background fabric beyond that. Somehow there was a conversation in our group about modern and as I was designing what to do I got distracted and changed it up to be more modern than traditional.

I've been working on developing an idea of quilting to look like lace and had hoped with this dark background I might test the idea, but chickened out. Here it is at various stages of progress.

I used two layers of 80/2 batting and #Aurifil threads.

I'm calling it Winter Night Sky. It measures about 20" x 25". With good sunlight (today!!) I was able to at least photograph it in a way that you can see the quilting.

Front

Back (just for fun!)

The fabric used is from the new collection "Frost" that I also have a new design called "Winter Bright" being released through Island Batik or directly from me wholesale or retail. Enjoy!

Monday, March 27, 2017

The Lake Life 5" squares .... (#islandbatik stamps). Photo is final placement, but this one still needs each row to be sewn to the next and a simple border added. In the pile now to go to retreat next week to be completed.

The Glowing Embers 10" squares (#islandbatik stacks)

I posted today on Instagram as part of the #igquiltfest for 'inspiration' with this particular one. Last year the hill burned from the top to the bottom across the water from our home. This collection made me keep thinking about that experience and I thought the colors could be set in a way that would represent the fire coming down the hill.

Will work on finalizing the placement and sewing it together next week at retreat.

My March Island Batik Ambassador challenge is "March Mini Madness" using English or Foundation Paper Piecing. I have mine quilted now.....just need to get it bound to do a final post. Here is a sneak peek.

This week I'm hosting an intensive Rondure experience here in Grand Coulee. I've got students from the westside of Washington that requested a class...with a 10 session sequence it is too much for them to travel once a month, so we're doing nine 3 hour sessions; 3 per day. yikes!! I'll explain the final session which is borders and some may stay on Friday to finish up. Not for the beginner, but it should be fun. Everyone got moved in today and we finalized fabric selections. We're going to have some beauties!! I'm even hoping to get another version done myself.

The inverted version is on the left and my original 1892 Rondure is on the right.

Monday, March 20, 2017

Today was a special Monday. Odessa, WA is about 1 hour from where I live and they put on an annual event called "Quilt 'til You Wilt". It runs from 6am until 10pm ...or until the final person wilts!

It is a great event and I always enjoy reconnecting with quilting friends that I only get to see occasionally.

I took two projects to work on and got all the stitching done on both of them. It was the sub-assemblies using pre-cuts for future Island Batik Ambassador challenges.

One is using the Lake Life collection 'stamps' (5" squares) and the other is using Glowing Embers collection 'stack' (10" squares).

This Friday I'm hosting a pre-cuts class. Choose your pre-cut and I'll help you select a pattern and work through it. Several years ago I hosted a class 'Any Turning Twenty' ....and it was a super fun challenge for me to be running around the room keeping track of everybody and their particular pattern and fabric selections (scrappy or set fabrics). So, I'll talk through what I've done with two pre-cuts that I chose and got the blocks pieced today. yeah!!

Here is a possible setting for the 5" squares from Lake Life. I added background fabric along one side, and then another along an adjoining side and have just kind of put them on the wall.

I'm taking inspiration from Heather at Craftingdotdotdot.BlogSpot.com from back in 2012 when she did her Chrysalis quilt. I was working on a commission at the time with the Chrysalis fabrics and found it and saved it for inspiration some day. This seemed like just the right time to give it a go.

I will continue to play with the placement and might add some more blocks. I have some leftover yardage from my Lake Life Zig Zag quilt (free PDF download Zig Zags at the Lake). that will give me more charms if I choose to add to this.

The 10" squares from Glowing Embers were made into HSTs (8 at a time). This pile will make their way to the design wall on Friday where we'll play with them until we like the placement.

This last week I did make progress on the commission. But the expected need date by the client has been greatly extended, so not such an urgent project right now. I got all 12 blocks completed and started to add the setting triangles in denim. The center 4 of the 2nd row are all sewn together.

Monday, March 13, 2017

Block #3 --a study in color -- in my book, You Can Quilt! Thanks to #islandbatik for these beautiful fabrics.

And more #islandbatik fabrics used here. Tomorrow's class that I am teaching is the Ribbon Box Quilt from Cloud 9 fabrics. I'm making another version with similar #islandbatik fabrics as I did last year.

I'm looking forward to seeing the various versions that my students will create of this fun quilt.

I'm also working on my Row by Row Experience (TM) 2017 design! Although I had gone one direction, it just didn't feel right for the situation. So, last week I had an epiphany and I'm excited about where it has led. I hope to work it up in real fabric this week.

Monday, March 6, 2017

March is a new Island Batik Ambassador Challenge -#islandbatik- Mini Madness using Paper or English Foundation piecing....I've got a mini here, wdyt?

I'm using a reduced size version of my paper pieced Eastern Star block from my co-authored book "You Can Quilt!". I made two blocks. Didn't add all elements in the blocks sewn in columns adjacent to the two blocks, stacked vertically, and then adding more background on the left to create an asymmetrical design. A bit of a modern twist to it. Now to design the quilting.

This currently measures about 25" wide by 20" tall. We're supposed to have it be 24" x 24" or smaller. I'm thinking once I get it quilted and trimmed it will easily be inside the dimensions.

The fabrics are a new line "Frost" that was also used in my latest pattern "Winter Bright" -->

Remember last week's Kennel Quilt finish? Here they are being delivered to the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society by my young friend Katya J. where they originally got their own dog.

I'm also progressing on the commission. Here is one actually completed block -- I need to make 12. It just needs to say "TEXAS" to the man whose bed it will grace during the day. I'm hoping for his wife's sake it will have a subtle feminine touch as well.